Flasher switch



P. N. ROM

FLASHER SWITCH March 6, 1934.

Filed Jan. 21, 1932 attorney Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,949,489 FLASHER swrrcn Milwaukee, Wis.

Application January 21, 1932, Serial No. 587,848

3 Claims.

The invention relates to circuit control mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient flasher switch that may be employed with advantage in vehicle signalling systems.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel mechanism for intermittently closing the circuit to a signal or other light t rough the action of a vibratory support upon which said mechanism is mounted.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vehicle signalling system includ ing circuit control mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3 of the automatic circuit control mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 4 designates what I will term a blinking light and 5 the automatic circuit control mechanism for this light.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 this circuit control mechanism includes a casing 6, preferably of insulating material having a cover '7 of similar material detachably secured thereto as by screws 8. The bottom of this casing is formed to provide spaced rails 9 of insulating material, one side rail being shown in Fig. 2, which are upwardly inclined as at 10 and a pair of spaced contacts 11 are inset in this bottom to form continuations of the rails 9 at the apex 12, said contacts having terminal screw connections 13. The rails with the contacts thus form a trough 14 sloping from center toward both ends along which a metal ball 15 is free to roll and as this ball rolls over the spaced contacts 11 it bridges them and allows the electric current to pass from one to the other through the ball. The casing 6 is connected to a vibratory support 15 by the bracket 16 and. screws 17. For a vehicle signalling system this support 15 may be a portion of the dash of the vehicle or any suitable part of the frame thereof and since, when the vehicle is in motion or frequently when the engine only is running, there is a certain amount of vibration imparted to the frame and other parts, this vibratory action will be imparted to the casing 6 and this in turn will cause the ball to shift from one end of the casing to the other and as it does so make and break contact with the contacts 11, this vibratory action being especially present when the vehicle is in motion due to the unevenness of the roadway. However, to render the device more sensitive and its action more lively, I have provided a spring 18 at each end of the trough adapted to be struck or engaged by the ball as it approaches the end of the casing which through its reaction will push the ball away from it in the opposite direction. so that the ball will have a rapid back and forth movement in the trough and to regulate the action of these springs for different conditions met with in practice each spring 18 is braised or otherwise secured to the end of an adjustable screw 19 which is in threaded engagement with the end of the casing and secured in adjusted position by a lock nut 20.

Thus the circuit control mechanism above desc'ibcd through the vibration of the support on which it is mounted automatically makes and breaks the circuit to the electric light 1, and in the present instance this light and the circuit therefor is associated with the direction indicators of the vehicle signalling system as shown is Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 the numeral 21 designates a casing which may be of any suitable construction provided with light transmitting openings 22, 23 and 24 behind which are the lights 25, 4 and 26 and which casing may be mounted at the rear or the front of the vehicle.

A conductor 27 leads from one terminal of the light to one of two spaced contacts 28 and a conductor 29 connects the other contact 28 with one of two spaced contacts 30, the other contact 30 being connected by a conductor 31 to one terminal of the light a conductor 32 connecting the conductor 29 with one side of the battery 33 or other suitable source of current. A conductor 34 connects one of the terminals of the light 4 with one of the contacts 11, the other contact 11 being connected by a conductor 35 with a switch contact 36 adapted to be connected to a movable switch arm 37, pivoted at 38, to a conductor 39 that connects with a conductor 32. A conductor l0 connects the conductor 34 with one of two spaced contacts 1-1, the other one of these contacts 41 being connected by a conductor 42 to the conductor 35. The other terminal of the lights 25, 4 and 28 are grounded to the casing 6, the common ground being shown at 43 and the other side of the battery is grounded as indicated at 44.

The usual stop light 15 has one terminal grounded as at 46 and its other terminal is connected by a conductor 47 to a switch contact 48 which may be connected through the switch arm 37 and conductor 39 with the battery to complete the circuit through this lamp when the switch arm 37 is moved as by a link 49 connecting this arm to the brake linkage (not shown) of the vehicle so that when the operator applies his brake the light 45 will be lighted, a spring 50 acting on said arm to return it to the position shown in Fig. 1 during normal running of the vehicle.

The selective control of the circuits to the lights 25, 4 and 26 is effected through a pivotal switch arm 51, pivoted at 52, and having a bridging contact 53 for bridging any one of the sets of spaced contacts 28, 41 and 30, said arm being under the control of the operator at his station in the vehicle.

With the above construction when the switch arm 51 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the light 4 will give a steady light and this is the condition for driving straight ahead, the circuit then being from the battery 33, conductor 39, arm 3'7, conductors 35 and 42, contacts 41 and 53, conductor 40, conductor 34, light 4 to ground 43 and back to battery through ground 44.

When the operator shifts the arm 51 so as to bring the bridging contact 53 into operative relation with the contact 28, current will flow from the battery through conductors 32, 29 contacts 28 and 53, conductor 27, light 25 and back to the battery to indicate a left hand turn, assuming the'light 25 is located at the rear of the vehicle, and when the arm 51 is shifted to bring the bridging contact 53 into operative relation with the contacts 30, current will flow from the battery through conductors 32, 29, contacts 53, 30, conductor 31 to the light 26 and then through grounds 43 and 44 back to the battery. At any intermediate position of the switch arm between contacts 28 and 53 and 30 and 53 the circuits above described will be disconnected but under these conditions the light 4 will become a blinking light since under these conditions current from the battery 33 will pass by way of conductor 39, switch arm 37, contact 36, conductor 35, intermittent control switch 5, conductor 34 to the light 4 and then through grounds 43 and 44 back to the battery so that if the operator shifts the arms 51 to either of these intermediate positions or during the shifting this arm from either of its switch positions the light 4 will start blinking and this will act to appraise the operator of a vehicle in front or behind of the fact that the operator of the vehicle having the signal intends to change his direction. If while the light 4 is blinking the operator applies his brake to stop the car, the switch arm 37 will be moved out of engagement with the contact 36 and into engagement with contact 48 to establish a circuit flow through the stop light 45 and under these conditions current flow to the light 4 via the automatic circuit control mechanism 5 will be cut out.

While the circuit control mechanism herein shown has been described in connection with the vehicle signalling system it may be used for other purposes if desired and while the direction indicators have been shown as lights 25 and 26 other forms of signalling devices may be used for them associated with the light 4 and control 5 and I therefore desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a circuit control mechanism, the combination of a vibratory support, a casing mounted on said support including rails and end portions, a ball movable on said rails, back and forth between said end portions, bridging contacts forming a part of the rails over which the ball passes during its back and forth movement, and springs adjacent said end portions adapted to be struck by the ball and accentuate its movement.

2. In a circuit control mechanism, the combination of a vibratory support, a casing mounted on said support including rails and end portions, a ball movable on said rails, back and forth between said end portions, bridging contacts forming a part of the rails over which the ball passes during its back and forth movement, springs adjacent said end portions adapted to be struck by the ball and accentuate its movement, and adjustable supports for said springs.

3. In a circuit control mechanism, the combination of a vibratory support, a casing mounted on said support including rails and end portions, a ball movable on said rails, back and forth between said end portions, and bridging contacts forming a part of the central portion of the rails over which the ball passes during its back and forth movement, said rails and contacts being upwardly inclined from said end portions to the center.

PALMER WILLIAM ROM. 

